Posts Tagged ‘The Coffee Company’

After my workout I made my way to The Coffee Company downtown, quite famished, and opted for one enticing black and white marbled slice of cake from the “tartine au choix” plate. It looked something like the perfect Oreo cookie cheesecake with little bits of chocolate, fudge, and biscuit crumbles, sitting innocently in the back, and I had to have it.

It was too good to be true.

The awful thing was only meant for seeing and not eating. I should have known. Much of the place is about atmosphere and marketing rather than food. Stick with the coffee and tea, folks; you can’t go wrong there.

The white stuff that might have been cheesecake was just a marshmallow-like filling reminiscent of the processed and hydrogenated goo layer in the center of Oreos, and there was way too much of it. The sweetness of the cake was enmeshed in a mushy spongelike texture. Even the chocolate crust foundation lacked richness, and instead all I tasted was artificial, slightly warm, perhaps musky, sucrose. Regardless of whether or not the thing had been homemade, which I really doubt, it did not taste fresh.

It’s my own fault. I admit it. Never again will I choose to eat something lying out in front of the window like an inedible display. Next time I’m hungry after the gym I should go for a real restaurant, even if their Nicoise salad to-go isn’t so bad.

The new cozy little cafe on 45 Rue du Midi that has won my heart is called, straightforwardly, The Coffee Company. They’re open all week from 8AM to 8PM, and they have just the right style to bring Americans and Brits back home.

Though messy and cramped at times, the light still is bright, the full plate glass windows open up the whole space, and the decor is very comforting. I am almost tempted to buy a bag of marshmallows or a mixer from them. Of the three baristas I’ve seen there, only one plays loud music. All the rest of the time it is a great place for relaxing, chatting, or passing the time with some reading or writing.

What with their good mint tea (~€2.30), coffee to-go (~€2.30), sugar-rush caramel pecan fudge chunk brownies, and wireless internet access, I will try to make it a regular stop. Take a pass on the too-sweet, unappealing hot chocolate (~€2.30), even though it stays hot. However, I will vouch for the deliciousness of the morning muffins.